Atom Dual core + SSD OR Atom Quad-core + emmc

[alimzia]

Hi guys,

I have a noob-ish question. I am looking to buy a low end tablet pc (hybrid type).

I have come down to 2 options which fall within my range and make sense.

One being the Samsung Ativ smart pc. (64gb SSD, dual core atom processor, released back in 2012)

The other, Acer aspire switch 10. (32gb eMMc, quad core atom processor, release 2014).

Both feature 2 gigs of ram.

Need suggestions. Which one would be a better option?

My use will be limited to making some notes, basic programming, and reading coursework pdf mainly. (but obv looking for the better comb for speed)

 

[Nothingness]

The Samsung seems to be using the old Atom core (Z2... Series) so it will definitely stink CPU wise.

 

[myocardia]

Definitely the Acer, which btw, can be bought with 64GB of eMMC, for an extra $20 or so.

 

[alimzia]

Thanks for the suggestions. Appreciate it!

But will the older processor make such a huge difference in terms of basic multitasking? And wouldn't the SSD be able to compensate for that loss?

Samsung actually has me at the S-pen and slightly larger screen size. But then again, do you guys think there will be a huge difference in terms of speed?

 

[myocardia]

The Samsung doesn't have an SSD. It uses eMMC, just like the Acer. This review of it, starting with the storage page, shows how well it handles some common software tasks: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ativ-smart-pc-500t-windows-8-atom,3360-7.html

If you must have an 11.6" screen and an S-pen, then you're pretty much stuck with the Samsung. It's going to do most things fine, as long as you aren't wanting to watch lots of videos on it. It uses a very old third party graphics chip, which doesn't accelerate Flash video, like the Acer does. Facebook uses Flash video, for instance. So does Hulu, and I'm pretty sure that that Vimeo site does, as well.

Here is the page of that review that discusses the Samsung's video chip: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ativ-smart-pc-500t-windows-8-atom,3360-4.html

 

[Insert_Nickname]

But will the older processor make such a huge difference in terms of basic multitasking? And wouldn't the SSD be able to compensate for that loss?

It'll make quite a difference. The older Atom uses a core that hasn't changed much since its release in 2008, and they where slow even back then. What's more it uses a completely outdated IGP without even basic support for video acceleration.

In short avoid older Atoms at all costs. The newer ones are quite decent for what they are.

 

[podspi]

I have the ATIV, and it is the worst tech purchase I have ever made.

Even if we could look past the slow CPU and storage, which aren't Samsung's fault...

1) The firmware is shoddy (battery life and BIOS issues)
2) The screens are notorious for ghosting/image retention
3) The keyboard connection is unreliable, causing it to connect/reconnect constantly
4) Using the machine plugged in with the keyboard is almost impossible, as doing so disables the keyboard 9 out of 10 times.

In addition to being told to send it back for one of the firmware issues (I managed to hack it back to life on my own and flash a newer firmware version) - the power button died as well.

This was (is) a terrible machine, if you remember back then almost all CT-based models got delayed for some reason, and Samsung forged ahead (tech sites said they had bypassed the issue somehow - they didn't).

As a notetaking machine, it is not capable of running Onenote quick enough to make it a great experience, and the palm-rejection is not good. Usually what I ended up having to do was disabling the touchscreen and just using the pen, which is a pain. Really I can't say enough bad things about this machine. If you actually spending money on one of these you will have regrets.

I personally have recently upgraded to a Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga which I've been pretty happy with.

Really, if you are looking for something to take notes with, I would either get something a bit more expensive, or consider a used Galaxy Note or similar (though I have no idea how well those work).

 

[Arachnotronic]

The Samsung ATIV is using an old Clover Trail chip which is an absolute dog by today's standards. Go with the newer Baytrail, although if you can wait, there will probably be better Cherry Trail designs coming fairly soon.

 

[SPBHM]

2012 Atom? run!

bay trail is a lot better

 

[teejee]

Either bad CPU or bad storage. Save some more money and buy something better.

 

[myocardia]

2012 Atom? run!

bay trail is a lot better

Yeah, according to Intel, Baytrail is upwards of 3x faster than Clover Trail, and Baytrail isn't exactly a speed demon.

 

[Torn Mind]

Old Atoms have a much worse integrated graphics. 1080p video is a no-go. And yeah, they're much slower than the already-slow Bay Trail.

 

[therealnickdanger]

Old Atoms have a much worse integrated graphics. 1080p video is a no-go. And yeah, they're much slower than the already-slow Bay Trail.

Even the new ones struggle to do high bit-rate 1080p and I haven't seen one that can reliably do 60fps streams. Atom needs better decode support.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Even the new ones struggle to do high bit-rate 1080p and I haven't seen one that can reliably do 60fps streams. Atom needs better decode support.

What can one expect with a 4EU IGP? Hopefully Braswell fixes that.